Recently in Bar Category

In celebration of the new year, I thought it would be suitable to look back at all of my best eats in 2009. Here, I've included some of my most frequently visited restaurants as well as a few memorable favourites.

Most Visited Casual Restaurant: Dong Ba Bun Bo Hue, Bankstown, NSW
I think I have honestly dined at Dong Ba at least once every fortnight in 2009 - joining the regular local slurpers of Bun Bo Hue, a Hue-style spicy noodle soup. It is only $7 and the food (they also serve plenty of other traditional Vietnamese eats such as my second most ordered dish here, the Cambodian Rice Noodle Soup) is served at lightening fast speed. Dining at Dong Ba in Bankstown is always a guaranteed fuss-free cheap and cheerful eat. Another bonus is that the menu caters for all possible cravings of anything Vietnamese so is sure to satisfy everyone. But the best part would probably be their drinks menu which includes the iced black coffee and the avocado milkshake.

Dong Ba
296 Chapel Rd South, Bankstown, NSW

Bun bo hue (Hue-style spicy noodle soup) at Dong Ba, Bankstown - My most visited casual restaurant of 2009

Most Expensive: Le Cinq, Paris
In May 2009, I left home for my first eating extravaganza in Europe. Let me just start off by confessing that I have a really bad habit of not checking prices whether it be shopping or food. My boyfriend almost passed out when he browsed through the 'host' menu at Le Cinq, which I had booked many months in advance. Thankfully I had the 'guest' menu which didn't have the prices so he was able to break the shock to me slowly. We soon justified to ourselves that because we had travelled all the way from Sydney to Paris, it would only be right if we allowed this one splurge and promised to be sensible throughout the rest of the trip. Le Cinq sits within Paris' most luxurious hotel - Four Seasons George V, and is the most elegant space I've ever dined in. Something like 440€ (AU$900 at the exchange rate during that time) excluding drinks and service charge and almost six hours later, we left gleefully with a massive dent on my credit card.

Le Cinq
Four Seasons Hotel George V
31, Avenue George V, Paris, France
www.fourseasons.com/paris/dining

Best Surprise: Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
My boyfriend was transferred to Wollongong for six months for work, a few years ago. During a visit to some of his old workmates earlier in 2009, we were introduced to Wiseman Park Bowling Club. Tucked within a senior's bowling club bistro is this spectacular down-to-earth yet slightly fancy restaurant. Think traditional Mediterranean and remember to make a reservation if dining on a Friday or Saturday night as the secret is out, and this place is hawt!

Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
Gipps Road, Wollongong, NSW

Favourite City Travelled To: Barcelona
My time in Barcelona can easily be summarized with daily visits to the Boqueria Market - the best market I have ever been to. The vivid display of fruits, seafood and jamon was an amazing sight and simply drool-worthy. The friendliness of locals shouting "hola" and the buzz in eating paella after paella, oh, and the shoes made Barcelona my favourite city visited in 2009. Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit it again soon.

Boqueria Market
www.boqueria.info

Fruit drinks display at Boqueria Markets, close up of paella and tapas in Barcelona

Most Visited Seafood Outlet: Ocean Foods, Drummoyne, NSW
Almost every drive on Lyons Road in Drummoyne has resulted in me stopping by at Ocean Foods. Their floor to ceiling glass walls means there's no running away from the grand display of fresh and ready to cook seafood and salads.

Ocean Foods
154 Lyons Rd, Drummoyne, NSW

Most Visited For Dessert: Mamak, Sydney, NSW
Roti and condensed milk are just made for each other. After countless dinners at other restaurants across the city, Sydney food bloggers, myself included, seem to always end up at Mamak for dessert. The roti tisu is a golden cone encrusted with butter and sugar that tastes heavenly with a swirl of condensed milk and sometimes, even ice-cream. If that doesn't have you drooling, the roti pisang will - with freshly sliced banana that caramelizes within a thin buttery roti. Oh, so good.

Mamak
15 Goulburn St, Haymarket, NSW

Favourite Late Night Dining: Wagaya, Haymarket, NSW
With ridiculous trading hours (Wagaya opens until 2am on most nights), private booths and a quirky touch screen ordering system, late night dining at Wagaya is perfect for those night owls (like me) who want a decent feed. I can't get enough of their soft-shell crab hand rolls, lotus root chips or takoyaki gratin. Unfortunately, all this late night dining has contributed greatly to my growing waistline... Hmm... Did someone say New Years Resolution?

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour St, Haymarket, NSW

Dining at Wagaya - Most Visited Late Night Dining Restaurant of 2009

Best Discovery of a Hidden Gem: Uchi Lounge, Surry Hills, NSW
Uchi Lounge is only a street behind the chaotic Oxford Street but upon stepping inside, you're in a whole new world. It is soothing and peaceful, offering a selection of Japanese sake cocktails and some scrumptious food such as their grilled eggplant with miso and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane St, Surry Hills, NSW

Favourite Bar: Water Bar at Blue, Woolloomooloo
I was introduced to Water Bar after my 25th birthday dinner in 2009. It's the fine dining of bars. As well as offering all the traditional cocktail favourites, Water Bar also features a range of new concept drinks that utilises some surprising and experimental techniques. Elderflower martini with a cucumber air, the kaffir lime dacquiri with coconut foam or the spiced fig whisky sour are just a few to name. The only downside here are their trading hours, closing at midnight on most nights and 10pm on Sundays and Mondays.

Water Bar
6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, NSW

Favourite Brunch: Rhodes Phoenix, Rhodes, NSW
Yum-Cha, Dim-Sum, whatever two words you use to call the fine art of eating dumplings and other Chinese delicacies over tea with friends or family, is a weekend hobby of mine. Having discovered the Phoenix group in 2007 - there's four of them: Sky Phoenix, Hilltop Phoenix, Manly Phoenix and Rhodes Phoenix, I quickly became a regular at the Rhodes restaurant which is only a short drive from my place. 2009 saw me dining at Rhodes Phoenix more than ever before. I have such a weakness for their prawn toast!

Rhodes Phoenix
1/5 Rider Blvd, Rhodes, NSW

My favourite type of nightspots are the ones that have delectable cocktails and mouthwatering menus. It has to have both and not just one without the other.

Tapas and cocktails

I love Low 302 'cause not only does it satisfy my 'favourite nightspot' criteria, but it also has an amazing line-up of bands and some very cozy lounges.

Tonight, I'm here with Winnie who talks delightfully of her new life in China. She's been working overseas for a few years now and vividly tells me that her breakfast is often bought from a hole in the wall -literally. As I begin to image this whole new world of hole-in-the-wall eateries, I'm hit with a sensory overload of deliciousness. Fresh deep-fried breadsticks, just wrapped dumplings...

These thoughts soon fade as our parade of tapas and cocktails are served.

Awesome cocktails

My El Prata cocktail ($16) is a mix of orange marmalade, passionfruit and lime juice shaken with Aperol and Pisco, served short. Awesomeness is the only word I can use to describe it (sorry -been watching too much of How I Met Your Mother!).

The tapas range from $7 - 22 and are available both day and night. There are also seasonal specials which means there's no excuse for not visiting Low 302 week after week.

I can't decide between having the oysters au naturale or with ginger beer jelly so opt to have one of each. The ginger beer jelly is subtle in taste and adds to the oyster's plump natural creamyness.

Freshly shucked oysters with lime or ginger beer jelly (4 pieces for $16)

The zucchini flowers ($14) are stuffed with three cheeses and served with an intensely aromatic stringy bark honey. One of the specials today was a smoked salmon dip with Lavosh bread. It is a combination that is irresistable. We also have the chargrilled baby octopus ($14) with sticky balsamic dressed and seafood risotto balls (arancini, 4 pieces for $12) which are a divine snack -crunchy seasoned crumbs encase a mouthful of creamy risotto. Yum!

More tapas: zucchini flowers, arancini balls, smoked salmon dip

It was cute seeing the different shaped tapa plates piece together on our table like a puzzle that was meant to be together.

I've never said no to churros ($11) before and continue the pattern here. However, the dipping sauce is runny like a hot chocolate so we end up eating the cinnamon and sugar encrusted churros by itself. They're finger-burning hot but clearly not enough to share between two.

Another round of churros and cocktails anyone?

Churros with chocolate dipping sauce

Low 302
302 Crown Street, Darlinghurst / Surry Hills
Web: www.low302.com.au
Phone: (02) 9368 1548

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I think Uchi Lounge is the perfect place for a first date. Now, I've been with Zen for almost 7 years and can't quite remember what first dates are like, but how can an equation which includes awesome sake cocktails, a drool-worthy bar menu and an intimately lit room go wrong? The bar is quirky and the restaurant upstairs is Modern Japanese glam.

The decor is soothing and the peaceful ambiance complements it well. For a tiny lounge tucked behind Oxford Street, I was surprised.

The bar downstairs

Uchi doesn't take bookings on Friday or Saturday nights, but Amanda and I frown when we're advised the restaurant has reached its capacity and soon after the waiter steps away to chat with the boss, and we are offered a table downstairs. They don't normally serve the restaurant menu downstairs so I'm glad he has made an exception.

I ordered the Zen Booster cocktail which was only natural since it held the name of my other half. I'm not a big drinker so thought the mix of passionfruit sake, vodka, cointreau and organic apple and carrot juice was a little harsh. I much preferred Amanda's Crunchy Tiger. The sweetness of the mango juice mixed with passionfruit sake, vodka, cointreau was delicious.

Zen Booster sake cocktail

Crunchy Tiger sake cocktail

While analysing the menu, we were served these complimentary homemade rice cakes (or should I call them crackers?). They were still warm and tasted freshly toasted. I heart the basic flavour of toasted soy sauce on a crisp rice bed.

Complimentary rice cakes

Both Amanda and I are big foodies so don't be astonished by the amount we have ordered and demolished :)

The first dish we had were mussels with chilled wasabi and coriander. These were slightly disappointing as the mussels were over-cooked. But the flavours were nonetheless refreshing. Next were oysters with umeshu (a Japanese liqueur made with ume plums) vinaigrette. The texture of the vinaigrette was jelly-like and totally unexpected!

Chilled wasabi and coriander mussels

Fresh pacific oysters with umeshu vinaigrette

My favourite of the night was the following dish -grilled eggplant with miso and a sprinkle of parmesan. I simply loved the saltiness of the parmesan and miso mixed with gorgeously textured eggplant. However, the serving size only included half an eggplant so a whole would have been a bliss.

Grilled eggplant with miso and parmesan

The specials menu included 2 eye catching dishes which we just had to order. One of them was the shallow-fried soft shell crab wrapped with hijiki, edamame rice and snow peas. Whilst the filling was scrumptious, I was deeply disappointed by the oiliness of the beancurd sheet which encased it.

Shallow-fried soft shell crab wrapped with hijiki, edamame rice and snow pea, served with wasabi mayo

Inside the soft shell crab roll

The other dish we ordered from the specials menu was this yuan-grilled Suzuki jewfish with organic sesame oil and tamari, served with bamboo shoot rice and blanched bok choy. The bamboo rice was the best!

Yuan-grilled Suzuki jewfish with organic sesame oil and tamari, served with bamboo shoot rice and blanched bok choy

Ah, finally, our last main dish of medium rare beef steak with chilled wasabi mash. The mash must've consisted of fresh wasabi -its sharpness was so aromatic. And the accompanying sauce which I can't recall was so luscious, we found ourselves mopping it up with every piece of perfectly seared steak.

Medium rare beef steak with chilled wasabi mash

Dinner ended sweetly with desserts of their signature green tea and cinnamon creme brulee and houjicha (oven-roasted green tea) pannacotta. The crystalised toffee was as it should be -a thin glossy sheet. Cracking it has always been a secret pleasure of mine. The green tea and cinnamon custard beneath was silky smooth. But the pannacotta left me speechless as I continuously devoured spoon after spoon. Its refreshing houjicha essence paired with a light-as-air texture was sublime.

Green tea and cinnamon creme brulee

Houji cha pannacotta

Amanda et moi

The next time you need a quiet bar/restaurant for a date or to catch up with friends, check out Uchi.

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Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane Street, Darlinghurst
www.uchilounge.com.au

While many are drawn to the Crown Complex at Melbourne for its gaming floor, I kept coming back for the food.

It was New Years Eve 2008 and amidst the loud crowd building up outside, Sho Noodle Bar was busy serving up plates of traditional Chinese cuisine and refilling pot after pot of really good tea.

There was a queue for proper tables so we took up the opportunity to sit at the bar which allowed me to witness the efficiency behind its open kitchen.

I was a little unsure of their four page tea menu, so the waiter talked me into trying the $6 pot of Qi Xian Nv Jasmine bloom tea which was as delicious as it was fascinating to watch. It was infused with soothing aromas of green tea and the perfect accompaniment to such a big meal! Yes, as usual, we over-ordered and over-ate, but the tea supported me well.

Jasmine blossoming tea, $6

Chinese condiments

Open kitchen

We shared a variety of Sho's specialty dishes including a spicy Assam fish curry with okra, tomatoes, onion and mint. We also had a selection of braised fungus and mushrooms which were cooked in a fragrant wine and garlic sauce. The earthy flavours were simply delectable. We followed with a staple plate of Singaporean stir-fried beehoon noodles which helped balance the rich dishes. Then I noticed the crayfish getting flash fried and tossed with honey, chilli and spring onions.As we shifted the dishes and teapots around to make room, the glistening dish arrived and we were hypnotized like munching machines.

Assam fish curry with okra, tomatoes, onion and mint, $16.80

Selection of braised fungus and mushrooms, $15.80

Singapore style noodles, $17.80

Wok-fried crayfish with honey, chilli and spring onion, $39.50

New Years Eve crowd at Melbourne

Come here for the extensive tea list and the well executed Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean dishes.

Sho Noodle Bar
Main gaming floor, Crown Entertainment Complex
8 Whiteman Street Southbank VIC
Phone: (03) 9292 6885

Have you ever had to hold a martini glass with both hands? At Crown Casino's Velvet Bar, you'll find almost everyone juggling and sipping from these giant super oversized cocktails.

For $35 each, the novelty factor doesn't quite wear off until you've had a brain freeze. I had this luscious lychee daiquiri.

Super lychee daiquiri: lychee liqueur, Bacardi, lychee pieces, lemon juice, sugar syrup and lots of ice

Try the super toblerone, rich with Frangelico, Kahlua, Baileys, honey, milk, strawberries and chocolate flakes or Sex And The City's famous cosmopolitan with vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice.

Super cocktail menu

And on Tuesdays, they're only $24.

Velvet Bar
Ground Level, Gaming Floor, Crown Casino
Phone: +61 3 9292 6209